According to a report by WTVD, a woman in Goldsboro, N.C. was prepared to protect herself and her property when faced with an unwelcome early morning intruder this week.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deputies indicate that Paige Ham became suspicious when she heard a noise that appeared to come from the back yard of her residence at about 4:30 Thursday morning. After instructing her roommate to call the police, she grabbed her gun and went outside to investigate.

Reports show she noticed that a lock that had been on the door of a storage building was missing. At that point, authorities said that a man ran out of the shed directly toward Ham.

She opened fire, according to deputies, and hit 28-year-old Christopher Todd Brogden. A WRAL report indicates that Ham fired once, hitting the suspect in the chest.

Brogden was transported to a Greenville hospital, where he was listed in stable condition as of Thursday evening. After he recuperated, authorities will officially charge him with burglary.

As for Ham, the 28-year-old will not face any charges related to the shooting.

While anti-gun activists claim that citizens are safer without constitutionally protected access to firearms, stories like this one seem to indicate that it is primarily criminals – not their victims – who benefit when law-abiding Americans are not armed.

Responses to the WTVD article overwhelmingly support Ham’s decisive action against the intruder.

“Well if that don’t teach Brodgen not to steal I don’t know WHAT will,” one commenter wrote. “Good job Paige!!!!!!”

Although Ham initiated a call to local authorities, without a gun, she and her roommate would have been at the mercy of deputies who could have been miles away from the home.

Instead, she was prepared to neutralize the threat and was able to do just that.

Owning a deadly weapon is an incredibly serious responsibility, but one our founding fathers felt was important enough to include in our Bill of Rights. Ham, now safe and secure in her home, is a perfect example of why Second Amendment supporters adamantly defend that right.